History Channel Kills Kennedys Mini

History Channel has decided not to air its controversial and expensive upcoming miniseries The Kennedys, which had been slated for a spring broadcast.

A rep for History's parent company A&E Television Networks told The Hollywood Reporter, "Upon completion of the production of The Kennedys, History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network. ... While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."

The Kennedys, which was developed by 24's Joel Surnow, was meant to be History Channel's first scripted miniseries. Former Kennedy officials and supporters have long bashed the project's alleged historical inaccuracies, and that's the stated reason why History Channel ultimately decided to abandon it. (Deadline posted the video preview below of the miniseries.)

The network's statement to THR said, "We recognize historical fiction is an important medium for storytelling and commend all the hard work and passion that has gone into the making of the series, but ultimately deem this as the right programming decision for our network."

The Kennedys -- which stars Greg Kinnear as JFK, Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy, Barry Pepper as RFK, and Tom Wilkinson as patriarch Joseph Kennedy -- will still air internationally as planned in March, and THR suggests the project could ultimately find a domestic home on a pay cable network.